Dell Corporation

Dell Corporation 1. Introduction A . Company History In 1983, Michael Dell, an 18-year-old freshman at the University of Texas at Austin, Spent his evenings and weekends pre-formatting hard disks for IBM-compatible PC upgrades. A year later, he dropped out of college to continue with his rapidly expanding business, which had grown from zero to $6 million in 1985, simply by upgrading IBM compatibles for local businesses. In 1985, Dell shifted its focus to assembling it own brand of computers which led to a dramatic growth of the business, with $70 million in sales at the end of 1985.By the year 1990 sales had grown to more than $500 million and Dell was able to supply a number of Fortune 500 Companies. The company now had a broad product line of desktop and portable computers with Intel processors and had earned a strong reputation for quality products and service. Throughout the company’s history, a big part of Dell’s success was due to its unique and distinctive  "Dell Direct Model. † This model took efficiency to new heights by eliminating the intermediaries between maker and user of PC’s and lowered costs by eliminating inventory with the help of an efficient supply-chain management system and internet sales.Today, as the world’s largest PC manufacturer, Dell Computer Corporation offers a great variety of computing products directly to customers, with build-to-order systems and Comprehensive services that fulfill the needs of its customers. Dell’s customers range from Major corporations to individuals all over the world. Efficient cash management has enabled Dell to have both extremely high inventory returns and a â€Å"negative cash conversion cycle. † This cash flow system permits Dell to pass on cost savings to customers in the form of lower prices for the best technology available.These competitive advantages have helped the company achieve a solid cash position with outstanding liquidity B.. In search of a company culture The culture at Dell had always been driven by a continuous program to drive down costs And improve the â€Å"customer experience. † Facts were more important and more highly valued than emotions and personal feelings. As the company grew and succeeded, the company culture that pushed the drive to be number one and to make a personal fortune was based solely on economic terms.But in the year 2000, Dell’s margins in the hardware business began to decline due to a slowing demand for PC’s and a price war with competitors. Investors were disappointed, layoffs were frequent, and employees began to wonder why they worked in a high-tech industry, and why they worked for Dell. Kevin Rollins was aware that all great companies have great cultures. They have a Purpose and a leadership model. Aware of an urgent need to define his company’s culture, he Looked for inspiration, reading books on Franklin, Jefferson, Monroe, and Washington.He soon dis covered that what the founding fathers of the United States believed in went well beyond logic. They were passionate, very idealistic, and had a vision that exceeded their personal gain and involved the risk of losing their lives. Mr. Rollins found this remarkable, and it caused him to think about the country’s soul and its leaders. He believed this was an â€Å"interesting paradigm for a company to examine, as opposed to simply adopting the business paradigm. † With this foundation, he began to develop what became known as The Soul of Dell. C. . Key Players Michael Dell is the founder and CEO of Dell Computers.During the past 18 years, he Has grown the company’s sales from $6 Million to $33. 7 Billion and opened sales offices Worldwide, employing more than 38,000 people around the world. In 1992, Michael Dell Became the youngest CEO of a company to be ranked as a Fortune 500 firm. He has been Honored in numerous occasions for his vision and leadership. One of t he main goals for his Company is to double company profits by 2005 Kevin Rollins became Dell’s President and Chief Operating Officer in March of 2001. Before then, he was president of Dell Americas. He managed all company operations in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Latin America.During Mr. Rollins’ tenure at Dell, the Company has gone through a dramatic growth process increasing revenues from $5 Billion to $31 billion in just five years. Before joining the company, he functioned as vice president and Managing partner of Bain & Company Management Consultants, where he specialized in Corporate strategy and the management of high-tech companies. With his development of The Soul of Dell, he would like people to refer to Dell as a place where respect, integrity, honesty, and forthrightness are valued. Elizabeth Allen is currently the vice president of Corporate Communications at Dell.Her Responsibilities include the direction and global management of Dell’s corporate communications functions, including media relations, employee communication, and liaison with brand and product advertising divisions. Allen has spent more 20 years of her career in corporate communications. Before joining Dell, she was vice president of corporate communications at Staples Inc. , where she expanded investor, government, community and media relations. Previously, she worked for Raytheon Company and Loral Corporation as vice president of corporate communications in each.Allen has the responsibility of diffusing The Soul of Dell both inside the company and externally. 2. Current situation A. Vision statement It’s the way we do business. It's the way we interact with the community. It's the way we interpret the world around us– our customers needs, the future of technology, and the global business climate. Whatever changes the future may bring our vision — Dell Vision —    will be our guiding force. So Dell needs full customer sat isfaction. In order to become the most successful computer company, they need the newest technology and loyal customers. B.Mission Statement Dell's mission is to be the most successful Computer Company in the world at delivering the best customer experience in markets we serve. In doing so, Dell will meet customer expectations of: †¢Highest quality †¢Leading technology †¢Competitive pricing †¢Individual and company accountability †¢Best-in-class service and support †¢Flexible customization capability †¢Superior corporate citizenship †¢Financial stability 1- Customer The customer of dell according to the mission statement is the whole world because their aim is to be the most successful computer company in the world 2- MarketDue to the point that Dell wants to be the most successful computer company in the world it is automatically understood that their market is the whole world 3- Concern for profitability and growth Due to aiming to conquer t he whole world their will always be a place for growth which leads to more profitability 4- Concern for employees The mission statement does not talk at all about the employees I think this is the only flaw in the mission statement but if a company has such big goals the employees must be very qualified especially in this filed. The filed of computers because it is very competitive market with the other competitors. . Philosophy: From day one, Dell has built his company up on the premise that what the customer says goes. When he first started Dell Computer at the age of 19 in his University of Texas dorm room, Dell says his concept was simple: buy parts, assemble them, and sell the finished products directly to customers. He effectively eliminated big distributors and was able to reduce the end price he could charge. â€Å"You tell us what you want – how fast you want the programs to operate, how much memory, how expandable – and we will build it for you and ship it o ut, usually within three days,† he says. And if ever you have a question or a problem about your system, you call us direct. We take direct responsibility for the complete satisfaction of each and every customer. † After his company had been in business for three years, Dell created the industry’s first on-site-service program. If there was a problem with your computer, you didn’t have to return to the store to have it looked at. You simply called Dell and a serviceman would come to your house and fix it. â€Å"That was a pretty important plus because we didn’t have any stores,† Dell jokingly recalls.Dell claims that his company operates on a relatively simple concept: â€Å"The most important thing is to satisfy our customers,† he says. â€Å"The second most important is to be profitable. If we don't do the first one well, the second one won't happen. † Thus, the focus of his company remains on concrete issues, such as improving delivery time, cutting operating costs and maintaining customer service. Dell believes in the importance of adding value â€Å"beyond the box†, looking at the customer’s total experience. To this end, he often aligns his company with complementary partners for increased efficiency.Today, Dell builds computers only in response to orders that the company has actually received from users, either by phone or the Internet. Users are able to dictate the company’s supply, relieving Dell of the risk that comes along with trying to predict market demand in the extremely unpredictable computer industry. Because Dell customizes its products, the company is also able to provide unmatched levels of customer service. For instance, on October 27, 1997, after the Asian economic crisis overwhelmed Nasdaq’s online trading site, Nasdaq called Dell, which proceeded to build eight custom-made PowerEdge servers in just 36 hours.Three days later, they were up and running for N asdaq. By prioritizing his customers, Dell was rewarded with their business and loyalty. http://www. evancarmichael. com/Famous-Entrepreneurs/646/Lesson-2-Develop-a-CustomerFocused-Philosophy. html 6. Concern for public image The point that â€Å"Dell's mission is to be the most successful Computer Company in the world† means only one thing and that is the public image for the company must be very good not only domestically but also internationally. 7. Production servicesThe way how dell operates is actually a very smart way to cut of cost and inventory accounting wise leading to more profit for the company also the quote â€Å"Best-in-class service and support† convinces you that any service this company does can only be the best. 8. Technology Technology plays a very important role for dell simply because of the nature of the business. The computer filed is all about technology and service that is what gives any company the edge of survival in this filed so technolog y must be very high. â€Å"Leading technology†, http://www. samples-help. org. uk/mission-statements/dell-mission-statement. htm http://retailindustry. bout. com/od/topusretailcompanies/p/dellincprofile. htm C. Values statement Extending Our Global Success Leadership. Performance. A commitment to expansion. These are the principles that have secured our success in the marketplace and enhanced our ability to anticipate and address the industry’s needs. Our unique position as a technology leader ensures that you’ll always be challenged in your work and supported in reaching your most ambitious goals. [pic][pic][pic][pic] Showing results 1-2 of 2 1. Collaboration. Ambition. A commitment to unique solutions. When you work at Dell, you embody these principles every day. 2.Commitment to Diversity Collaboration. Empowerment. Opportunity. These are the tenets of Dell's strong commitment to diversity. http://content. dell. com/us/en/corp/careers-our-values. aspx D. Dell policies 1. Dell Global Environmental Policy Dell aspires to be a company in which environmental excellence is a priority in  everything we do. Our goal is to fully integrate environmental stewardship into the business of providing quality products, best-in-class services and the best customer experience at the best value. http://content. dell. com/us/en/corp/d/corporate~corp-comm~en/Documents~dell-global-environmental-policy. df. aspx 2. Global social media policy Scope This Global Policy on Social Media (Policy) is a Corporate Compliance Policy and applies to all Dell employees, employees of any Dell subsidiary, assigned workers, as well as to third parties performing services on Dell's behalf (hereinafter collectively referred to as â€Å"You†). For employees, compliance with this Policy is an expectation of employment (subject to local legal requirements). For assigned workers and third parties, compliance with this Policy is a condition of access to Dell facilities and resources, and of being permitted to perform services forDell. Definitions for capitalized terms used in this Policy may be found at the end of the Policy. Purpose Dell recognizes that Social Media tools such as blogs, micro-blogs, online forums, content-sharing Websites and other digital channels established for online interaction and connection are increasingly used to: promote Dell to colleagues, customers, the media and other Dell stakeholders; and/or share personal opinions and participate in online dialogue as individuals.The purpose of this Policy is to establish standards and expectations regarding any Dell-related use of Social Media. Dell's commitment to being direct, supports open communications, provided such communications adhere to this Policy. Policy Statement You must adhere to the following when engaging in Social Media: †¢ Appropriate Use of Information Technology Resources. Dell's Information Technology (IT) resources are company property dedicated to achiev ing Dell's business objectives. Inappropriate use is not acceptable.This includes, but is not limited to, using Dell IT assets to post offensive material on content-sharing websites, publish defamatory remarks about colleagues or customers on web forums or blogs, and leaking Confidential Information. †¢ Speaking On Behalf of Dell. Blogging and other online dialogue are far-reaching forms of communication; distribution is meant for a vast public audience. Information purported to be published by Dell contained within blogs and other Websites could have a negative impact to Dell and our stakeholders, with potential legal implications.Unless You have successfully completed Dell's Social Media training courses and have been certified to speak on behalf of the company  using Social Media, You shall never claim to be speaking on behalf of Dell or expressing an official company position in such communications. †¢ Ethical Conduct. You shall not conduct activities that are illega l or contrary to Dell's Code of Conduct, Privacy Statement Regarding Customer and Online User Information, or other Dell policies. Always respect the dignity and privacy of colleagues, customers, other Dell stakeholders and Dell competitors.Harassing, intimidating, offensive, abusive, threatening, menacing or hostile content communicated through blogs and other online communications is prohibited. Data related to others, including, but not limited to, personal details and pictures, shall only be posted with that party's consent. †¢ Transparency of Origin. You shall disclose Your connection to Dell in all communications with customers, the media or other Dell stakeholders when speaking on behalf of Dell (if authorized to do so) or discussing or recommending Dell or its products or services (even when doing so in Your personal capacity).You must also provide Your Dell contact information upon request. Unless you are certified to speak on behalf of Dell, You should make it clear t hat the opinions are Yours alone and do not necessarily reflect Dell's views or positions. †¢ Accurate Information. Never knowingly communicate information that is untrue or deceptive. Communications shall be based on current, accurate, complete and relevant data. Dell will take all reasonable steps to assure the validity of information communicated  using any channel but it is Your responsibility to assure accuracy in the first instance.Anecdotes and opinions shall be identified as such. †¢ Protection of Confidential Information. You shall protect Confidential Information as such information represents one of Dell's most important assets. It is never appropriate to share, post, publish or otherwise disclose Confidential Information unless You are explicitly authorized to do so. You must respect securities and financial disclosure laws, and must not post or otherwise comment in any capacity on Confidential Information that may be considered financial information (such as earnings, future business performance, business plans or prospects). Accountability. You will be held accountable for the information You share in online activities. Be careful what You share, publish, post or otherwise disclose. You are personally responsible for what You share and should remember that anything You post may be public for an indefinite period of time (even if You attempt to modify or delete). Try to ensure Your online communications reflect Dell's brand attributes of openness, responsiveness, integrity and optimism. Procedures and Training Dell has adopted training materials to assist You in complying with this Policy.Dell's Social Media  and Communities (SMaC) Team will deliver role-appropriate training. Asking Questions You are encouraged to ask any questions You may have about this Policy. To learn more about how to use Social Media in accordance with this Policy, contact Dell's SMaC Team at [email  protected] com. You may also ask Your leader or Human Resou rces representative, or contact the Global Ethics  and Compliance Office at [email  protected] com, or the Legal Department. Reporting and Investigation It is very important that You immediately report any suspicious behavior regarding Dell employees or Dell third parties.To report known or suspected violations of this Policy, contact your leader or another member of management, your Human Resources representative, an Ethics  and Compliance team member, or call the Ethics Helpline, a confidential toll-free, third party-operated telephone service, You may also submit a report  using the Ethicsline, a confidential Web-based online reporting vehicle. Reports made  using the telephone Helpline or the Web-based Ethicsline may be made anonymously where permitted by local law. Anyone reporting a suspected or actual violation of this Policy is protected from retaliation under Dell's Code of Conduct.All good faith allegations of violations of this Policy will be fully and confident ially investigated pursuant to Dell's Global Policy on Raising and Investigating Potential Ethics  and Compliance Violations. You are required to cooperate with all investigations of alleged Policy violations. Discipline and Other Consequences Employees who violate this Policy will be subject to appropriate disciplinary action or other remedial measures up to and including termination of employment if warranted under the circumstances and permissible under applicable law.Assigned workers and third parties who violate this Policy are subject to being denied access to Dell facilities, personnel and assets, and permission to perform services on Dell's behalf. Waivers The provisions of this policy cannot be waived. Dell management does not have the authority to approve waivers to this Policy. Revision and Revocation This Policy is not a contract between Dell and any employee, assigned worker, or third party. This Policy may be revised or revoked by Dell at any time, without advance no tice or cause. Local Policies and ProceduresDell operates in many countries and it is Dell's intention to comply with all applicable legal requirements. Accordingly, if a provision of this Policy conflicts with applicable local legal requirements, Dell will follow the local legal requirement (provided the local requirement does not conflict with U. S. law). In addition, Dell may adopt regional or country-specific policies on this subject to accommodate local conditions or legal requirements, and will inform employees in the applicable region or country of the terms of any such policy. DefinitionsConfidential Information  Ã¢â‚¬â€ Important or valuable business information that is not available to the public. It includes trade secrets and other intellectual property that has been developed, licensed or acquired by Dell. It can also include information of customers, business partners or others that has been disclosed to Dell under obligations of confidentiality. Examples include una nnounced financial information, strategic business plans, unannounced product or services and solutions offerings, planned or contemplated mergers or acquisitions, lawsuits and other legal proceedings, roduct design and technical knowledge, customer and team member personal information. Social Media  Ã¢â‚¬â€ Web-based technologies used to broadcast messages and participate in dialogues. Examples of Social Media software applications on the Internet include social networking applications such as Facebook; video-sharing applications such as YouTube; micro-blogging applications such as Twitter; collaboration applications such as Wikipedia; and Dell's official corporate blog, Direct2Dell. Examples of Social Media applications used within Dell are Dell's internal blog, One Dell Way, and Dell's internal networking tool, Chatter.Global Policy on Social Media Effective Date: August 5, 2010 http://content. dell. com/us/en/corp/d/corp-comm/social-media-policy. aspx 3. Privacy and Data Secu rity At Dell, your right to privacy and data security is a primary concern. That's why, when you visit dell. com, we help you maintain control over your personal data on the Internet. Below are the guidelines we use for protecting the information you provide us during a visit to our Internet sites (www. dell. com/ap) or when you use our online support offerings such as support. ap. dell. com.Other Dell and Dell Co-branded sites may operate under their own privacy and security policies. 3. External scanning A. PEST ANALYSIS PEST analysis is very important that an organization considers its environment before beginning the marketing process. In fact, environmental analysis should be continuous and feed all aspects of planning. The organization's marketing environment is made up from: PEST analysis stands for â€Å"Political, Economic, Social, and Technological analysis† and describes a framework of macro environmental factors used in environmental scanning.It is also referred t o as the STEP, STEEP or PESTLE analysis (Political, Economic, Socio-cultural, Technological, Legal, and Ethical). It is a part of the external analysis when doing market research and gives a certain overview of the different macro environmental factors that the company has to take into consideration. Political factors include areas such as tax policy, employment laws, environmental regulations, trade restrictions and tariffs and political stability. The economic factors are the economic growth, interest rates, exchange rates and inflation rate.Social factors often look at the cultural aspects and include health consciousness, population growth rate, age distribution, career attitudes and emphasis on safety. The technological factors also include ecological and environmental aspects and can determine the barriers to entry, minimum efficient production level and influence outsourcing decisions. It looks at elements such as R&D activity, automation, technology incentives and the rate o f technological change. The internal environment e. g. staff (or internal customers), office technology, wages and finance, etc.The microenvironment e. g. our external customers, agents and distributors, suppliers, our competitors, etc. The macro-environment e. g. Political (and legal) forces, Economic forces, Socio cultural forces, and Technological forces. These are known as PEST factors. Political Factors The political arena has a huge influence upon the regulation of businesses, and the spending power of consumers and other businesses. You must consider issues such as: .How stable is the political environment? For example what is happening because of 25 of January revolution? Will government policy influence laws that regulate or tax your business? .What is the government's position on marketing ethics? And this is not clear in Egypt those days What is the government's policy on the economy? Does the government have a view on culture and religion? Is the government involved in t rading agreements such as EU, NAFTA, ASEAN, or others? Economic Factors Marketers need to consider the state of a trading economy in the short and long-terms. This is especially true when planning for international marketing. You need to look at: . Interest rates 2. The level of inflation Employment level per capital Sociocultural Factors The social and cultural influences on business vary from country to country. It is very important that such factors are considered. Factors include: l. What is the dominant religion? 2. What are attitudes to foreign products and services? 3. Does language impact upon the diffusion of products onto markets? 4. How much time do consumers have for leisure? 5. What are the roles of men and women within society? 6. How long are the population living?Are the older generations wealthy? 7. Do the population have a strong/weak opinion on green issues? Technological Factors Technology is vital for competitive advantage, and is a major driver of globalization . Consider the following points: 1. Does technology allow for products and services to be made more cheaply and to a better standard of quality? 2. Do the technologies offer consumers and businesses more innovative products and services such as Internet banking, new generation mobile telephones, etc? 3. How is distribution changed by new technologies e. g. ooks via the Internet, flight tickets, auctions, etc? 4. Does technology offer companies a new way to communicate with consumers e. g. banners, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), etc? http://www. nishanw. org/Corporate%20Strategy%20lession%202%20tools. doc B. Porter’s model 1. New entrants:- From the point of view of Dell this is considered a low risk simply because to enter a market like this you need a lot of capital, to start up and to get the latest technology. Seconded of all there are a lot of established companies in this field so entering it would be nearly impossible. ttp://www. photopla. net/wwp0503/entry. ph p 2. Rivalry:- Rivalry will always exist in such a market because there are lot of establish competitors such as HP, Sony, Toshiba. And many more. www. csus. edu/indiv/h/†¦ /ComputerIndustryAnalysis8-06. ppt – 3. Threat of substitute products:- In the computer filed you would think there are no substitute products. It matters on exactly what the customer wants if the customer wants a computer just to serf the internet there are substitute products. Like the high tech mobiles and I-Pad.However if the consumer uses a computer to play games or other things computer a pretty much the only product you can buy to do these stuff therefor the computer becomes a nessatiy . In the case of dell laptops are not considered a substitute products compared to the normal Personal computer. Due to that dell is one of the main players in the computer market and are aiming to be the best in all computers as to oppose of Gamma or Philips for example. http://www. vodafone. co. uk/personal/ind ex. htm 4. Bargaining power of buyers:-The consumer or buyer in this case has a lot of power therefore any company that wants to serve has to play by one rule an that rule is. To produce a product at the lowest cost possible selling that same product at the highest cost possible. The highest cost possible is the selling price your competitors sell there product. Consider if you will that the cost the competitor sells his product that to be your ceiling of a price there for you will always find that competitors all there prices are very close if not even the same.Only if there is a huge difference in quality. 5. Bargaining power of suppliers. As for suppliers bargaining power this is a very high risk for any company because a supplier may rise prices or less the quality of the product. There for it is a must for every company to have an excellent relation with its supplier. Relative power or other stakeholders Governments play a big role on any company with law and Terries and so on there for it might not be that easy to enter a new market. C. Strategic groupsIn the case of dell or in general the computer industry you will find that there are a lot of players in the market such as Sony, HP, Compaq, all of these companies just mentioned all work under the IBM Bracket as to oppose of apple which uses Macintosh a completely different operation system. This is more used by advanced users such as engineers and musicians. So from by point of view if we were to compare price of the final product and quality you will find Apple in the top right while dell and all the others will be under apple also on the right because dell always thrive on the highest quality product. pic] D. Strategic types Dell is a reactor company because in this filed of computers all of them work as a reactor company simply because all what dell does is that is manufactures and assembles the computer the only thing that changes in this field is the technology and power of the computer example for the companies that create that technology is Intel and AMD E. Issue priority Matrix Impact on organizationHigh Medium Low | | | | | |Medium priority | |Increasing Turn over |high | | |High priority |rate | | | | | | | |Low priority |Financial crisis |High priority |Medium | | | |Medium priority | | |Swine flu |Low priority | |low | Probability of occurrence The issue priority matrix is a matrix that helps you measure the priority of external factors and its effect on the organization. the financial crisis have a medium level of occurrence, while it have a medium priority, while the swine flu has a low level of occurrence with a low priority, the rate of turn over rate has a high priority with a high rate of occurrence. F. Industry success matrix In the industry we have decided to place all the direct competitors in our bubble according to the Strategic groups. Picking only 3 companies for convenience Key factors |weight |Dell |score |sony |score | |1 | Increased internet |. 20 |3 | . 6 |Increases dell profit | | |access in Egypt | | | |by reaching more | | | | | | |customers | |2 |Outsourcing |. 05 |4 |. |Improve the quality of | | | | | | |services offered by | | | | | | |dell | |3 |Ecommerce |. 10 |4 |. 4 |Increasing profits | | | | | | |through usage of dell | | | | | | |direct model | |4 |Maintaining Low Price |. 05 |2 |. 1 |Questionable as it's an| | Leadership | | | |old strategy used for | | | | | | |companies in growth | | | | | | |stage | |THREATS | |THREATS | | | | |1 |I. T. Advancement |. 0 |4 |. 8 |Well positioned | |2 |Price Wars |. 10 |3 |. 3 |Questionable | |3 |Strong Brands in The |. 10 |3 |. 3 |Dell brand name is also| | |Market (IBM) | | | |a strong ones | |4 |HP / Compaq Merger | . 20 |4 |. |Well positioned | |Total |1. 00 |3. 5 | | | | The 3. 50 WEIGHTED SCORE in Dell’s EFE Matrix is above average and represents that Dell is responding in an excellent way to its opportunities and threats in the I. T industry. In other words we can c onclude that Dell’s strategies efficiently and effectively take advantage of its opportunities and take serious steps to minimize the potential threats. http://www. ijazconsulting. com/uploads/Dell-Strategic_Case-Analysis_by_Ijaz_and_Muffich. pdf 4. Internal scanning A. Organizational structureDell Corporation’s organizational structure is a functional, decentralized structure. The company encourages different departments and functional components to contribute ideas to enhance the strength of the organization. The hierarchical structure provides defines the various functions provided by Dell Corporation, including Business Development, Education, and Global. A decentralized structure provides more learning availability for all members of the enterprise, as decisions come from various levels; in contrast, the centralized structure has more of the decision-making coming from the upper levels of the enterprise, such as the CEO and Vice Presidents.In the divisional organi zation, every division has its own groups to support that specific division (such as purchasing units and human resources units). [pic] 2. Culture: |Dell believes in being direct in everything we do. Our ultimate success is based on maintaining direct | |relationships built on trust. Our relationships with diverse partners help us reach multicultural consumer groups| |across the world and recruit the best and brightest talent to achieve success in the marketplace. | |Dell's Winning Culture and comprehensive diversity initiatives create a corporate environment based on | |meritocracy, personal achievement and equal access to all available opportunities.We focus our internal efforts | |on cultivating and promoting best practices among our global workforce in the areas of policy development, | |training, recruitment, mentoring, development, advancement and culture change. Furthermore, our Work/Life | |Effectiveness and career management programs enhance our ability to retain and develo p valuable team members and | |demonstrate our commitment to the Dell Team. | |Networking Groups | |Dell sponsors a community of networking groups formed by employees with common interests in areas such as | |ethnicity, gender, nationality, lifestyle, and sexual orientation.These groups offer Dell employees the | |opportunity to network with other employees from around the company, while providing encouragement and an | |enhanced sense of belonging through informal mentoring, professional and community events and access to personal | |and professional development and growth. Additionally, networking groups help foster a more inclusive work | |environment, improve communication among employees and enhance understanding of all employees about the value of | |diversity. | |Networking Groups currently chartered: | |BRIDGE – Building Relationships in Diverse Group Environments (African-American Networking Group) | |W. I. S. E. Women In Search of Excellence | |aDellante – Hispanic Networking Group | |PRIDE – Partnering for Respect of Individuality in the Dell Environment (A Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender & | |Straight Alliance) | |A. I. M. – Asians in Motion | | | |Work/Life Effectiveness | |At Dell, our people are our most valuable asset and we are committed to fostering a culture that exhibits this | |value. Our goal is to enable employees to maximize their contribution to the company while also maintaining | |effectiveness between their work and personal lives.We advocate flexibility in the workplace to empower | |employees, teams and managers to hold discussions about both the needs of the business and each employee's | |individual Work/Life Effectiveness goals, and then to construct a plan for fulfilling both priorities. As | |individual circumstances vary, solutions that enable flexibility can be different, including informal and formal | |flexible work arrangements such as variable daily work times, work-from-home, and par t-time work arrangements. | |Additionally, Dell offers corporate employee resources that enable employees to better manage their Work/Life | |situations, such as: | |Employee Assistance Program | |Dependent Care ReferralResources | |Mothers Rooms | |Staying Well at Dell Initiatives like â€Å"Weight Watchers at Work† | | | | | | | | | | | |Career Management Program | |Dell is committed to developing our workforce and helping employees achieve their personal and professional best. | |Through an intensive, six-month Career Management Program, we strive to develop, fully engage, and retain | |high-performing talent. Specifically, participants in the program spend 6-8 hours per month developing and | |strengthening network and mentoring relationships; engaging in new activities; and exploring new assignments or | |positions at Dell. Managers participate in a kickoff session and a mid-program discussion with the coach and | |participant, in addition to holding monthly career- related discussions with participants. | http://www. dell. com/content/topics/global. spx/corp/diversity/en/culture? c=us=en 3. Resources (Value chain): 1. Typical value chain |Raw materials | |Primary | |manufacturing | |Fabrication | |Distributor | |Retailer | In this case dell here saves a lot of cost compared to any other competitor in the market simply because dell acts as a distributor and retailer, leading to a huge reduction of cost. As it is dells signature to deliver their product right to your door as ordered over the internet. This is how it works in America but of course this does not occur here in Egypt. As here in Egypt it only seems enough to have the name dell in the market.This point has many other factors because here in Egypt the income level is lower than in the America so people here such as my self for example would rather want to customize his personal computer. Rather than buying a brand name. 2. Corporate Value chain [pic] Dell Company here in Egypt doesnâ €™t work as a full company, but only works in Egypt as a distributor only. The company works with agents and people have the possibility to buy through the internet as the company use its direct model to deliver customized products anywhere in the world. Dell Company has 2 of the primary activities here in Egypt they are marketing and sales, and services. Marketing and sales:I have seen with my own eyes that Dell Company does marketing activities to increase awareness and sales in booths in computer mall Also they provide discounts on their products to increase sales. Services There are for any dell products after sales services and repair possibilities incase anything could go wrong with a dell computer. IFAS |Internal Factor |INTERNAL STRENGTHS |WEIGHTS |RATINGS |WEIGHTED |Comment | |Evaluation Matrix | | | |SCORE | | |3 |Product Reliability |. 0 | 4 |. 8 |Important as product | | | | | | |reliability leads to good | | | | | | |reputation of dell | |4 |C. Relationship |. 10 | 2 |. 2 |Questionable | |7 |Leading tech |. 10 | 3 |. |Good ,but there are more | | | | | | |powerful technologies | |8 |Supply Chain |. 20 | 4 |. 8 |Excellent supply chain by | | | | | | |using dell direct model | |Internal weaknesses | | | | | | |1 |Little Product Diversification |. 20 | 4 |. |Focusing on laptop | | | | | | |manufacturing | |2 |No in house repair capability |. 10 | 3 |. 3 |Bad service | |3 |No Business Diversification |. 20 | 4 |. 8 |The company doesn't produce | | | | | | |anything rather than | | | | | | |electronics | |Total | | 1. 0 | |4 | | |6 | |5 |duration | |Opportunities (O) |O1. changes in life style |S1. strong brand name |W. 1 low variety of products | | |O2. technology innovation |S2. Huge capital investment |W. 2 low quality products | | |O3. Expand market share |S3. Affordable prices | | | |O4. New Market entrance |S4.High qualified employees | | |Treats (T) |T1. High competition | | | | |T2. finacail recession | | | | |T3. Market entrance (in Middle | | | | |East) | | | S1&O1 as dell has a very strong brand name dell can use its brand name in a way that affects changes in life style.For example entering a new product to compete with the I-pod. S1&O2 In the computer bossiness technological invention is created by the companied that do process the microchips such as Intel and AMD Dell just gives you the final product of the computer. Dell can use this to their advantage to collaborate with tease companies and create a technology that is only available to dell only. S1&T1 in the computer there is a lot of completion so dell can use their high qualified employees to compete with the other companies. W2&O4 one of the weaknesses of dell is their low quality products dell can use this to their advantage to enter new markets for example the African market. Porter’s model |Lower cost |Differentiation | |Broad target |Cost leadership |Differentiation | |Narrow target |Cost focus |Differentiation focus | It is believe that dell ha s more then 1 characteristic according to porter’s model dell has a lot of more products then Acer for example. Laptops, PCs, Monitors ext. While Acer only do laptops For this example dell is certainly in the differentiation for broad target row. While as in the case of Dell and Apple. Dell certainly has a cost leadership over Apple. I would also like to highlight something that in computers there is no cheap or expensive computers. It is all about the power you have in the computer. The more power you have the more expensive it would be. 6-Strategy Formulation 1.Corporate strategy Directional:- It seems that Dell Company is in the stability stage in its life cycle. Dell Company has achieved a lot in its years and is a very well know brand that is why you will find their brand name as strength in the TOWS Matrix. We also believe that the company uses 2 strategies in the stability bracket. It is always the case in the technology filed that if any company does something new a c ompetitor would at least do the same if not even better so in this case Dell is always on the look out for what their competitors do. The seconded strategy Dell uses is the profit strategy by cutting down any unnecessary expensive Portfolio:-Product line of dell 1. Laptops & Tablets 2. Personal computer &workstation 3. Speakers 4. Monitors 5. Monitors LCD 6. Keyboard 7. Mouse 8. Servers BCG Matrix | | | | | Relative Market Share | | | | | | | | | | |High 1. 0 | Medium . 50 | | | | | | | |Low 0. | | | | | | | | | |High +20 |Stars |Question Marks | | | | | |Speakers | | | | | | | | | | |Laptops & Tablets |Keyboard | | | | |Monitor LCD | | | | | | |Mouse | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Industry Sales | | | | | |Growth Rate | | | | | | | |Medium 0 |Cash Cows |Dogs | | | |Personal computers & workstations |Monitors | | | |Servers | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Low -20 | | | Laptops where chosen as stars simply because they have a large market share and a high growth rate. The same is also on the LCD monitors because every computer needs a monitor. The other types of monitors which are the old style are considered to be almost obsolete therefore the original monitors where put in the dogs sector.As for the personal computers because most of the people prefer laptops the demand for personal computers over the years has dropped tremendously. There are more for custom users because you can get more power from a personal computer then a laptop therefore you can say that personal computers have a high market share while the growth rate is dropping. Speaker, keyboards, mice are all considered to be an essential for any computer there froe they have a high growth but a low market share as they are not specialist in these products. 2. Cooperative strategies Strategic alliance: Dell and Perot Systems Announce Strategic Alliance To Provide Fully-Integrated Virtualized Healthcare Technology Solutions To Reduce Cost and Improve Patient Care: Ne w Solutions will Promote Electronic Health Records (EHR) Implementation Dell and Perot Systems today announced a strategic alliance where their combined delivery teams will provide fully-integrated global IT solutions that unite their best-in-class technology and services solutions to provide virtualized desktop, storage and server solutions for hospitals, health systems and physician practices – virtualized on premises or hosted either off-site or in secure, private clouds. Dell, a leading technology provider to commercial enterprises around the world, and Perot Systems, the leading healthcare technology solutions provider in the U. S. , are jointly introducing their first series of innovative solutions that bring desktop mobility and virtual storage and server scalability to the Healthcare Industry at the HIMSS Annual Event in Chicago, Ill.These solutions are designed to help improve patient care and to help healthcare organizations achieve the standard of â€Å"meaningful use† for EHRs established in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). TheNews: Mobile Clinical Computing †¢ Puts virtual technology in the hands of healthcare professionals at the point of care for improved clinical decision-making and efficiency †¢ Improves healthcare delivery with EHR implementation and usability †¢ Improves staff productivity by eliminating repeated, time consuming log-ins and improving application response time for remote users   †¢ Can reduce up-front capital expense and improve TCO Virtual Server Platform Simplifies the provisioning and scaling of health information systems, including servers and storage, by using standardized and virtualized public and private virtual computing environments †¢ Features structured technology assessment and consulting to optimize applications that will benefit most from virtualization   †¢ Addresses technology obsolescence issues by enabling dynamic compute workloads †¢ Ca n reduce up-front capital expense and improve TCO  Ã‚  Ã‚   †¢ Makes compute power a variable expense by aligning technology to business needs Virtual EHR Solutions †¢ Dell and Perot Systems will create hosted and secure private cloud-based EHR  alternatives to dedicated, on-premise EHR solutions †¢ Makes EHR adoption easier by eliminating the need to purchase, deploy and maintain hardware and software onsite †¢ Reduces up-front capital requirements and accelerates time to positive ROI †¢ Reduces burden of systems management for IT staff †¢ Simplifies the challenge of achieving â€Å"meaningful use† as defined in the ARRA Virtual Medical Archiving Solution Simplifies data management by storing patient records, images and other information in a virtual or secure private cloud environment †¢ Reduces capital outlay and total cost of ownership with world-class advisory and consulting services  Ã‚   †¢ Addresses myriad of healthcare ar chiving needs and budgets †¢ Scales as archiving requirements change †¢ Aligns cost and data availability to the regulatory requirements of various types of data produced in healthcare What this means for customers: †¢ Healthcare today is more sophisticated, with more cost pressures and operational complexity than ever before. Healthcare providers need secure access to reliable, real-time and easy-to-use information technology that enables them to obtain and manage treatment information, patient histories and other clinical resources to improve productivity and patient care while reducing costs. These new Dell and Perot Systems virtualized solutions will address these needs while simplifying and reducing the cost of EHR adoption so that healthcare providers can more easily achieve â€Å"meaningful use† for EHR Medicare and Medicaid incentive payments under the   American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). Quotes: Dr. James Coffin, vice president an d general manager, Dell Healthcare and Life Sciences:    â€Å"The role technology plays in shaping the future of healthcare around the globe has never been as important as it is today with medical professionals and government leaders looking for ways to improve the quality of healthcare and reduce its cost to citizens, employers and government.Our partnership with Perot Systems is focused on developing new solutions and delivering them in new ways to improve delivery of healthcare and patient outcomes. † Chuck Lyles, president of Perot Systems healthcare group: â€Å"In the current environment, clients are seeking solutions which improve services while reducing expenses. With the combined capabilities of Dell and Perot systems, these virtual solutions will increase user satisfaction and ease administration effort while reducing cost and preserving capital. † About Dell Dell listens to customers and delivers innovative technology and services they trust and value. De ll serves those who serve with next generation infrastructure for healthcare. About Perot SystemsPerot Systems is a worldwide provider of information technology services and business solutions. Through its flexible and collaborative approach, Perot Systems integrates expertise from across the company to deliver custom solutions that enable clients to accelerate growth, streamline operations and create new levels of customer value. Headquartered in Plano, Texas, Perot Systems reported 2008 revenue of $2. 8 billion. The company has more than 23,000 associates located in the Americas, Europe, Middle East and Asia Pacific. Additional information on Perot Systems is available at http://www. perotsystems. com/. http://content. dell. com/us/en/corp/d/press-releases/DellandPerotSystemsStrategicAlliance. aspx 3. Functional: Manufacturing and Operations at Dell | | | | | |Dell is committed to fully integrating environmental performance into overall business and operational management. Dell | |manufacturing and operations facilities around the globe maintain a strong focus on minimizing impact on the environment| |while providing a safe workplace environment for our employees. | |Dell's direct business model yields strong production inventory and capital investment efficiencies that translate into | |tangible benefits for the environment.Because all products are made to order, Dell currently maintains only three days | |of inventory for most parts and equipment, which keeps the environmental impact of warehousing to a minimum. Components | |and parts are only ordered and shipped to Dell when they are ready to be assembled into the final computer product, | |thereby saving energy and operational costs associated with storing inventory. | |Keeping our employees healthy and well is a high priority, and Dell is committed to providing a safe workplace for our | |employees. Dell's occupational health, safety, and wellness programs are designed to meet our employees' needs, | |motivating them to stay healthy and safe as they go about their daily activities both at work and at home.The | |Environmental, Health, and Safety team works closely with manufacturing, facilities, design, and process engineers, with| |a goal to continually improve the safety of our operations. | http://www1. euro. dell. com/content/topics/global. aspx/corp/environment/en/mfg_ops_main? c=ma=ar | Human resources : | |The Human Resources department has long been the Rodney Dangerfield of the enterprise. â€Å"I can’t get no respect! † the comedian | |complained to anyone who’d listen. And so it goes with HR in the enterprise. | |There are lots of reasons for this.For some of rank-and-file employees, HR embodies the pettiness of corporate life and a slavish | |devotion to inane rules and outmoded processes. Others see it in a more sinister light: the CFO’s enforcer that slashes jobs and | |benefits, all in service of the bottom line. | |Just three years ag o, a business magazine published an article  Ã¢â‚¬â€ â€Å"Why We Hate HR† — that portrayed HR executives as mindless | |bureaucrats. â€Å"I’m the cork in the bottom of the boat,† complained one HR director on a popular Web forum. â€Å"We get no respect until we | |save them from themselves and some of the bad choices they make when our back is turned,† said another. |Fortunately, at least at forward-thinking companies, that stereotype is as out of date as the secretarial pool on â€Å"Mad Men. † Many of | |today’s HR leaders are now accepted among the upper ranks of corporate leadership and act as trusted advisers to their CEOs. | |And increasingly, these HR leaders are turning to their enterprise IT colleagues to pry open the boardroom door and get the respect | |they deserve. A new generation of HR management tools makes it easier to find new talent, enable existing employees, and track trends | |that have an impact far beyond the HR department’s traditional boundaries. | |Of course, any competent HR executive uses the Internet to recruit and select employees.

Forbidden and Dangerous Love

essay Josephine Sellberg English Mrs. Giraud 1/9/10 Forbidden and Dangerous Love The story †Pyramus and Thisbe† is about two lovers, Pyramus and Thisbe. Because their love is forbidden, they are forced to do dangerous things to satisfy it. In the story, Pyramus and Thisbe’s parents have forbidden their love for each other. The teenagers live on either side of a wall that separates them. The two lovers one day decide that they want to be together and not have a wall between them. They decide to do a dangerous thing and sneak away from home into the dark fields.What drives the action in this story is Pyramus and Thisbe’s love that just gets stronger because it is forbidden. They take a dangerous risk when they sneak out into the wild when it’s dark and lions are around. When something is forbidden it can make it even more â€Å"attractive† and that is what happens with Pyramus and Thisbe’s love. Pyramus, â€Å"the handsomest youth† and Thisbe, â€Å"the fairest maiden† are the two lovers in the story; they want to get married, but their parents will not let them (1). One thing, however, they cannot forbid is their love for each other.In fact, their love â€Å"burned more intensely for being covered up† (1). They converse by signs and glances. Pyramus and Thisbe find a crack in the wall that separates them, allowing them to talk to each other. Amazing â€Å"what will not love discover† (1). Every night, when it is time to say farewell, the lovers are forced to â€Å"press their lips upon the wall† (1). They can never give each other a real goodnight kiss or a hug when they need one. The wall do not only separate them it separates their love. They just have to do something about it; it is just too hard for them to restrain their affection.This decision leads to dangerous plans. Danger moves the story forward due to Pyramus and Thisbe’s choices and plans. The two lovers decide to take the chance and sneak out. They were going to sneak out in the middle of the night beyond the â€Å"watchful eyes of their parents† (2) Pyramus has some knowledge of the danger because he brings a sword which he later uses to kill himself. They were going to meet in the fields the next night and be together. Thisbe is at the meeting place first and has to wait for Pyramus to come. She sees a lion and flees, and finds refuge under a rock.She drops her veil, which the lioness tosses around with her bloody mouth. When Pyramus approaches the meeting place, he sees footsteps of a lion and his lover’s bloody veil. He thinks that he has been the cause of her death and then he kills himself with the sword. As soon as Thisbe recognizes her lover she knows that she was not going to live her life without Pyramus, so she also kills herself. Pyarmus and Thisbe’s plan to sneak out ends up to be dangerous and nothing like they thought it would be like. Pyramus and Thisb e’s â€Å"forbidden love† for each other make them do dangerous things.Their love even gets stronger because of the fact that it is forbidden, and nothing can tear them apart. The story ends telling that even death cannot separate the two lovers. Pyramus and Thisbe were born to be together and that was how it was going to stay. When something is forbidden, it can be more interesting or attractive to a person. Something forbidden can make a person want to explore it even more, and take a risk just to explore it. When there is something we really want is withheld, our behavior and judgment can easily be clouded.

Censorship - We Must Not Restrict Speech

We can not restrict racial discrimination of speech, and gender discrimination and homosexual aversion are developed in university campuses throughout the country. Correspondingly, many universities adopt policies that restrict prejudice problems by limiting speech. Many administrators believe that alternatives to this restriction are educational opportunities to enable paranoia and deprive them of their goals. The university's ability to eliminate prejudice within campus is not ultimately an ability to punish racists, but rather by deep efforts on equality and educational principles. Carol: In my opinion, John Stuart Miller's most powerful argument about freedom of speech is that, when restricting speech, it must decide which government authorities have the right to consider. It may not be a government agency that you trust that you review. Companies are easily censored. There is also a website onlinecensorship.org, another team called EFF and Visualizing Impact that seeks to track the occurrence of this situation. The straight line is very clear. If you are a very strong person, you let others leave the platform. If you are a man without power, you will not do so When talking about censorship in the United States, we often talk about how people accept results. People in our country do not actually restrict their speech in a meaningful way. They have countless ways to convey their message. They have not been imprisoned in most cases. There are defects. Do Neo Nazi's disgusting messages meet the community standards of social media sites? In fact, most social media sites claim that they prohibit dislikes that they dislikes under their terms of use. In fact, their implementation of these standards is questionable. Over the years many women and minorities have shared posts that enable discrimination by racial discrimination and gender by social media. Censorship is suppression of freedom of expression and is usually based on freedom of speech that harms or harm th e public. Expression may be restricted because it is judged to be obscene, blasphemic, non-patriotic, agitative or immoral. The term review usually applies to government restrictions on freedom of expression in public places, such as laws restricting the display of Nazi flags, government officials closing the display of public art. However, efforts to restrict freedom of expression are not review in the government's sense, but may also arise from private organizations best known as non-governmental issues. For example, a publisher may cancel a contract for a book. Theater creator opponents can advertise and boycott the financial supporters of the movie. Freedom of speech, censorship, problems other than government, review of voluntary restrictions, self-censorship Censorship - We Must Not Restrict Speech We can not restrict racial discrimination of speech, and gender discrimination and homosexual aversion are developed in university campuses throughout the country. Correspondingly, many universities adopt policies that restrict prejudice problems by limiting speech. Many administrators believe that alternatives to this restriction are educational opportunities to enable paranoia and deprive them of their goals. The university's ability to eliminate prejudice within campus is not ultimately an ability to punish racists, but rather by deep efforts on equality and educational principles. Carol: In my opinion, John Stuart Miller's most powerful argument about freedom of speech is that, when restricting speech, it must decide which government authorities have the right to consider. It may not be a government agency that you trust that you review. Companies are easily censored. There is also a website onlinecensorship.org, another team called EFF and Visualizing Impact that seeks to track the occurrence of this situation. The straight line is very clear. If you are a very strong person, you let others leave the platform. If you are a man without power, you will not do so When talking about censorship in the United States, we often talk about how people accept results. People in our country do not actually restrict their speech in a meaningful way. They have countless ways to convey their message. They have not been imprisoned in most cases. There are defects. Do Neo Nazi's disgusting messages meet the community standards of social media sites? In fact, most social media sites claim that they prohibit dislikes that they dislikes under their terms of use. In fact, their implementation of these standards is questionable. Over the years many women and minorities have shared posts that enable discrimination by racial discrimination and gender by social media. Censorship is suppression of freedom of expression and is usually based on freedom of speech that harms or harm th e public. Expression may be restricted because it is judged to be obscene, blasphemic, non-patriotic, agitative or immoral. The term review usually applies to government restrictions on freedom of expression in public places, such as laws restricting the display of Nazi flags, government officials closing the display of public art. However, efforts to restrict freedom of expression are not review in the government's sense, but may also arise from private organizations best known as non-governmental issues. For example, a publisher may cancel a contract for a book. Theater creator opponents can advertise and boycott the financial supporters of the movie. Freedom of speech, censorship, problems other than government, review of voluntary restrictions, self-censorship

Personal & Professional Development Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Personal & Professional Development - Assignment Example Whilst undertaking this course, I undertook numerous exercises in seminars and took part in different activities, which as well has been of great help particularly in developing my personal attributes. The activity involved in was presenting the work to my group. During this activity, one of the most challenging issues that I noted was time management. In fact, for the first time as a postgraduate student, I came to recognize that time management is an important skill for all professionals (Cheng and Li-Fang 2004). Even now, I have been working hard to improve on management of time after going through different activities included in my log. To considerably improve my skills of time management, I have been consulting a number of published materials including books, professional practices as well as activities such as group participation. All these were also achieved with the help of a development plan ( Cho, Roberts and Patten 2010). I must say that, I have used my formulated developmental plan to improve my skills of managing time and this is evident in the way I have been accomplishing my assignments-finishing assignments early instead of waiting for the last day rush. As student in management class, particularly specializing in international business, I have immeasurably learned a number of important aspects, which will help me in making informed decisions particularly in cross cultures in future (Cummings and Worley 2009). Generally, this course has enabled me to learn more about varied practices in international management as well as other aspects linked to cross-culture and which will assist me to become a successful manager in an international context. In fact, having studied with various students who come from diverse ethnicities and cultures, I have, through my course, learned to acclimatize and adapt several things as well as ethics, which have helped me to

Business strategy, leadership, and management Research Paper

Business strategy, leadership, and management - Research Paper Example Despite the stiff competition that the business is facing in the market, the management is trying to achieve a strong brand loyalty as well as increased number of consumers. The creation of strong positive product customer relationship will ensure that the business attains its goals. The management also aims at achieving a success by creating strong relationship between itself and the employees by holding annual social events including parties and seminars. In this way, the employees will work towards the achievement of their goals as well as those of the business. The managing director will be in charge of making vital policies that are related to all the departments of the business. The departmental managers on the other hand will be in charge of ensuring that all the policies initiated by the managing director are implemented in their departments. Their duties will also include evaluation of the employees working in their departments. ... will be responsible for releasing salaries and other monetary benefits as well as forming linkage with the financial institutions to ensure easier accessibility of funds. The decision-making process will be all involving including the managing director, managers, sales executives and the employees (Thareja, 2008). The managing director will be in charge of all meetings while the employees will be given opportunity to give feedback that will be used by managers to evaluate the effectiveness of their communication skills and policies. Manager’s skills Degree or higher national diploma in business management or commerce The human resources manager will have a degree in human resources management The finance manager will require a degree in commerce (Finance option) and CPA qualifications The sales manager will be required to posses a degree in marketing All the individuals in the managerial position will be required to be computer literate with 2 years experience at the same posi tion as well as good communication skills Organizational structure The business will ensure the children will not destroy the natural vegetation during their games since they will be busy playing with the video games thus resulting to environmental conservation. Through the production of the video games that depict social interaction among the members of the society, the children will be modeled to become responsible adults who will not be engaged in social crimes. One of the key human policies that the business will adopt is offering of in-house training of the existing employees. Based on the current challenges that marketers are meeting in the market, the sales manager will have a chance to be holding two meeting per month with his sales team in order to train them on how to market our

Compare and contrast Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Compare and contrast - Essay Example The story takes the help of a simple dream or illusionary craze of the young boy to show him the stark reality of Dublin’s life that is very different from the world of is own making. This describes the boy’s experience, emphasizing more on the character portrayal than anything else. The narrator describes how the city and the surroundings had eaten into the health of the young boy’s life and contributed towards creating the person that he was. The protagonist of the story is the matured boy who had once been the innocent boy depicted in the story. The story opens with the lines â€Å"North Richmond Street, being blind, was a quiet street except at the hour when the Christian Brothers School set the boys free† (Joyce). Ironically, even though they were free from school, even their play did not give them the desired pleasure, for it was an equally dull world, where not even play brought any refreshment for the children. All these descriptions of dullness actually creates the backdrop against which the boy took resort of imagination larger than life and hence encounters a surprising disillusionment The antagonist in the story is the culture and life of Dublin, which has a significant role in shaping the boy’s mind along with the other inhabitants in the city. Joyce refers to Dublin as â€Å"indeed sterile†. This coaxes the innocent mind to seek shelter to a world of his own making or imagination where the boy seeks peace and happiness that the reality could not give him. The narrator himself is the young boy in the story who brings out the stark reality and the disillusionment undergone by the innocent soul. In his allegorical piece of work, Joyce intends to make the reader realize the harsh life that people were compelled to face in Dublin. And creates a platform for disillusionment which was a combination of wisdom and

Management Affairs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Management Affairs - Essay Example Their wedding is a huge event, anything related to this event also becomes famous. Their wedding cake is no exception. As soon as the couple ‘accepts’ the offer, an agreement is made between two parties to the contract. The legally binding contract is made as soon as the acceptance of the offer is made. The offer will be accepted by Choc Delux as soon as Kim is done negotiating with the company about the cake. Everything that the company communicates to the other party (Kim and Kanye) will become part of their contract agreement. They will be bound by the English law to abide by the agreement as diligently and prudently possible. There is a slight exception about enforceability of the contract; promises made in social/casual agreements are generally not enforceable under the UK Contract Law. However, this case is not social or casual. This is a business and given the magnanimity of the event also binds the two parties in certain obligations. For instance, in general circ umstances cancelling an order such as wedding cake would not be much news. This case is different as it will be a breach of agreement since it will be a huge loss to the Choc Delux Company if they lose the spot of providing cake for the big wedding. In case Kim breaches her agreement with the company she will be liable to pay the damages (the claim) from Choc Delux. The contract also states that Choc Delux is the sole provider of the wedding cake which means that if Kim and Kanye buy other cakes for their wedding then they will be in breach of the contract and will have to pay the claim in damages to the company. In case the breach happens from the couple’s side the company will see fit as to what kind of amount it seeks in damages. If the couple agrees to pay the exact amount (or any other form of compensation that the company sees fit) then the matter will be resolved. If the couple challenges the claim then they will have to settle it among themselves through

Effect of drugs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Effect of drugs - Essay Example This paper seeks to discuss the causes and effects of drug use. Overwhelming evidence suggest that most of drug users get into drugs at their teen age. Therefore, it can be safely assumed that their fellow friends lure most of them into drugs. Peer influence causes individuals to experiment with the drugs in the hope that they will fit perfectly in their peer groups. With the fear of rejecting the offer of their friends, they begin by taking small amounts of various drugs such as marijuana, crack cocaine among others. With time, this becomes the lifestyle and a way of life. When addiction sets in, it becomes difficult to quit using drugs. As an effect, users become dependent on drugs and therefore have to engage in criminal activities such as robbery to raise money for drugs. The peer groups gradually graduate from just peer groups to criminal gangs (Hanson et al 138-143). Human beings are characterized by curiosity to experiment new things in life. drug use is sometimes associated with exaggerated good feeling and a sense of command. This can be seen in beer and cigarette advertisement. Curious individuals who are unaware of potential drug addiction seek to experiment with the drugs. Their aim is usually to have a little experience with the drugs, at least for a short while. However, not all the individuals who experiment the drug experience are disciplined enough to quit after the experience. More often than not, they end up using more of the drugs and within no time, they become addicted. What began as an experiment ends up as a drug addiction. With little will to quit, drug users become aggressive, violent, withdrawn, and less responsible. It becomes difficult to meet personal obligations and life becomes a waste (Wilson and Kolande 80-83). Whereas freewill plays an important role in decision making in life, the social environment in which people grow determines the

Graffiti as Art Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Graffiti as Art - Research Paper Example Insofar as graffiti in Trinidad is concerned, graffiti is an art. The reasons, aesthetic criteria included, that reiterates that graffiti is an art outweigh the criticism of incoherence, nonstandard, and illegal presentation. This paper seeks to identify graffiti as a form of art, with particular emphasis on graffiti in the walls of the streets in Trinidad. The paper also highlights some peculiar tagging present in the graffiti as well as providing some samples from the region. Background A previous research on graffiti in Trinidad shows that prior to the arrival of Howok, a graffiti artist from Dublin aged 25 years, the graffiti in Trinidad was primarily two dimensions with one or two colors. However, the region is experiencing some changes in the graffiti section. Big, colored, three-dimension graffiti are pooping up literary every night on walls in the streets, from Diego Martin main road, Ariapita Avenue, Western main road to the Foreshore. Interestingly, these graffiti have some resemblance, with the majorly the name of the new graffiti artist, Howok. It seems that the artist brought different texts and colors to the graffiti industry in Trinidad. However, some graffiti in the Trinidad Island also reflect their culture, such as the one that depicts people playing the steel pan (Plate 1), a national instrument for the country. Plate 1:Grafiti in Trinidad showing people playing steel pans. Contrary to graffiti in the West and other parts of the world, the graffiti in Trinidad predominantly incorporates the name of the artist rather than the wide use of numerous graphics and texts eminent in North America (Schlee, 2005). Nonetheless, graphics are becoming a common feature of graffiti in Trinidad, though not with the same magnitude as with other countries. It is from such evidence that this paper seeks to assert that graffiti art in Trinidad is indeed a form of art. The origin of graffiti art in the Caribbean region dates back to the 1990s, as the societies we re experiencing the impact of popular cultural phenomena. The popular Caribbean culture has influence of the developments across the global mass culture. Throughout the 1990s, the Caribbean societies exhibited signs of influence from international fashion, films, music, and other emerging industries, particularly among the youth. The young people tended to seek new avenues to express their feelings. They thus sought to propagate discourses as legitimate responses to the already established discourses. Graffiti art is among the most disruptive, subversive, and creative form of art in the Caribbean societies. It is dominant in Barbados and other regions such as the Trinidad Island. Despite its virtually omnipresent existence, the academic organizations completely ignore this form of art. Formal scrutiny, explication, and analysis of graffiti writing and art are yet to occur. The graffiti arts on public spaces and walls across the Caribbean depict the disaffection of some people. It is imperative to understand the background of graffiti in the Caribbean and the various cultural behaviors and phenomena that surround the graffiti art in order to make a comprehensive conclusion on the nature of graffiti art. Critics of graffiti art as a form of art base their arguments on their location, as well as

Stinky Laundry Business Analysis Essay Example for Free

Stinky Laundry Business Analysis Essay Table of Contents Table of Contents2 1. Background4 The general nature of this business activity4 Benefits to society in terms of need satisfaction4 Why we chose this business venture5 2. Idea description6 The nature of our products and services6 Reasons why consumers will buy our products/services7 Our special services7 3. Idea feasibility8 4. Location11 7 important site selection factors11 Location of business12 How location factors apply to our business12 5. Enterprise Forms13 Type of enterprise13 Factors of selection of enterprise13 Legal name of business13 6. The Environment14 Internal environment14 Market Environment15 Macro environment of South Africa17 ? 1. Background The general nature of this business activity The cleaning of garments and other fabrics, that get dirty from everyday use, has always been a difficult task. Machines have reduced the labour but not much has changed in the three basic functions of laundering: cleaning, drying and finishing. The commercial laundry business offers laundry services to customers and is a very reliable and profitable investment. It requires minimum supervision and low operating costs. It has a typical return on investment of about 20-30% and classified as one of the safest investments with numerous benefits. It is a great part-time venture that requires a small amount of or no prior experience and can be located almost anywhere. It is highly profitable especially when located in minority communities and low-income neighbourhoods. It is also one of the most recession-proof investments. Many households use Laundromats on a daily basis with the key customer representing the fastest growing segment in the nation. Benefits to society in terms of need satisfaction The predominant benefit of the services offered by a Laundromat is convenience. People make use of this service because getting their clothes and other garments cleaned is a basic need satisfied by services on offer by Laundromats. People whom lack the time or money to do the washing at home prefer a quicker and easier way to getting it done. Students and other individuals staying in non-permanent residences like hostels or apartments mostly make use of this service. Other examples include organisations that make use of uniforms that is dirtied on a daily basis e. g. Mechanics and butchers. Another benefit is people who struggle to get their garments dry due to bad weather conditions (in winter) can dry-clean it at Laundromats. Lastly, it saves money that would otherwise have been spent on detergents and appliances. ? Why we chose this business venture We chose this business because there is always a need for Laundromats. It is cheap and easy to start and it is very sustainable because people need to use this service throughout the year regardless of the change of season. Innovative ideas can easily keep you ahead of your competitors like having specials. It is a very profitable venture and is very stable. Students would always want to make use of this service because it is quick and easy and removes the hassle of having to deal with your laundry. The laundry business is very stable, and unfailingly profitable. Families need clean towels and sheets regardless of other economic factors. People need clean clothing in summer and winter, on vacation or working, whether they are newborns, teenagers or retired ? 2. Idea description The nature of our products and services Our coin operated, self-service, washing and drying machines will serve as the base of services. Each load off washing ash will cost our clients R8 and for every load dried, we will charge R9. 50. Customers have the convenience of coming into our shops doing their laundry, enjoying the benefits of our other services. Our other services include: †¢Ironing or pressing of clothes. On request, our customers can get their clothes ironed or pressed by our attending staff at a fee of R10/kg. †¢Selling laundry products. We will be a retailer of washing powder, fabric softener and bleach to our clients if they wish to buy. †¢Selling laundry equipment. Our business will act as an intermediary between companies selling washing machines, tumble dryers, etc and clients wanting to buy laundry equipment. We will display a catalogue showing the equipment available and if bought through us we will make a commission on the sales. †¢Executive dry cleaning. We will offer extra care dry for clothing that are extra delicate or just needs a bit of extra care. Our executive dry cleaning will be at an extra cost to customers but we will call in our trained staff specialising in delicate clothing care to handle the items. This service will also come with a guarantee for immaculate attention to detail. †¢Pick up service. Our store will run a pick up and drop off service to UWC and CPUT Wednesdays and Saturdays. We will have one pick up and drop off point at each campus for students to get there laundry done with ease at an extra charge off 10%. †¢Arcade section. If our clients do bring their children along our arcade game section will keep their children busy while they wait for their laundry, create more convenience for our clients and creating wealth for our business through charging R1 per arcade game token. ? Reasons why consumers will buy our products/services Stinky laundry offers convenience to our customers our floor layout, products and extra services are for their convenience. In addition, a conventional home washing machine holds around a maximum weight of 120kg taking an hour to complete the load. At Stinky, our industrial sized washing and drying machines take four times the load and does it in half the time. Our innovative products and services will quickly gain an outstanding reputation for exceptional quality while our arcade friendly staff free reading material and free washing powder will do the rest. Our special services †¢Innovative ‘laundry package’ contracts. Our clients can buy washes, drying and ironing services before hand in bulk saving themselves money and time †¢Pick up service. Our pickup and delivery service to students will take a time consuming chore away from students at affordable prices ? 3. Idea feasibility Technical Where sustainability is concerned the equipment should be of good quality so that the business does not have to deal with unforeseen circumstances such as the equipment malfunctioning. The development of a business venture of this nature has is minimal. The materials the business will make use of include detergents and equipment such as washing machines and tumble-dryers. This is reasonably easy to get access to and if there is liaison with suppliers, you could possibly get these products at a cheaper rate than the competitors could. Labour would be cheap and easy to control as there is not much the employers have to do in a Laundromat business. Transportation can be easily provided to clients when they need their garments delivered i. e. clients with huge contracts who need their huge quantities of garments to be delivered. A technical feasibility study is an excellent tool for trouble-shooting and long-term planning. In some regards it Legal There are many legal implications that this specific type of business has to deal with. Some of the many different laws that would affect such a business venture are as follows: The labour relations act Consumer act (sales and service) These laws affect the business in such a manner that all your actions within the internal functions of the business have to comply by treating the employees and customers correctly. ? Financial This specific business venture is very sustainable as there will always be a need for it. If all the proper financial procedures are followed, there should be no future problems. The area where your business is situated plays a major ole on the financial credibility of your business. Long-term contracts would provide sustainable income and you would have a guaranteed return on investment Market There is a huge market for this type of business, as everyone needs to wash his or her clothes e. g. the hospitality industries, health industries. The specific industry described in the type of business is a service industry. A Laundromat provides a service to the public. After doing a thorough market analysis you can determine what target market is the most lucrative. The competition in such a business is very feisty as this a very successful business venture. Prices should be as cheap as possible but still maintaining a good profit. Organisational When it comes to the organisational part of this type of business, it is important to look at the management function. There should be someone overseeing the basic activities involved in the daily running of the business. This will be possible if all duties that are assigned to the employees involved in the different functions of the Laundromat. Making certain the form of the business model follows desired outcomes and functions. An effective governance structure should be in place and the right constituencies should be represented. All the people involved should be in the right people. ? Physical and environmental feasibility Site considerations, architecture, engineering, and community and neighbourhood planning have to be looked at thoroughly. There are not many challenges, but many opportunities regarding site and physical infrastructure considerations. There will be no impacts to the quality of water, air, and soil during the course of the running of the business. With regard to other ecological considerations, the business has to take into consideration factors that could harm the environment. Once this is done correctly, no future problems will arise. Competitive A Laundromat business has a very competitive market, as it is a common business and is reasonably easy to start. Competitors in this market will raise and drop prices easily and have many specials to prove to consumers that there Laundromat is the better of the two. ? 4. Location 7 important site selection factors †¢Accessibility of human resources. Where will employees come and how much will be paid in terms of the quantity and quality of the education they received. Owners can’t run the business alone employees need to be accessible to help with the daily running of the business †¢Distance of competitors and market share. How close companies delivering the same services or selling the same products. Of what degree of quality are the products or services of the surrounding competitors and will this influence the consumer market. If there is too much competition for the business and the market share of the business is too low business will never thrive †¢The frequency and price of transport. By what means will products, external services and employees reach the business, road, rail, air or water. How often do those services run to the business. Transport to the business is crucial, if customers, employees or external services, like repairs, cannot reach the business frequently business will not exist at all. Availability of buildings and the costs involved. Buildings need to fit a required size and must be appealing to customers as well as be placed in the right area for business. If the business is too far from resources needed to run the business cost of getting them will exceed what they need to be and if customers don’t get a good feel for their surroundings i. e. in the building, they will always feel uncomfortable doing business there. †¢Adequacy of electricity, water, and the costs thereof. Enough electricity and water must flow to the business. Utilities are needed in order to satisfy customers without business will come to an idle. †¢Building and health regulations and the behaviour of those enforcing them. What are the cost of renovating, what are the laws regulating building in an area, like building regulations and property rates, and what are the costs abiding to them. Costs of certain areas may be higher than others and that cost may be hard to catch up with in terms o gain on investment †¢The state of surrounding business. Will surrounding business aid in growth. For example is there repairs and health care near the business location. Location of business Bellville Mall, corner of Strand Road and Bill Bezuidenhout Avenue, Bellville How location factors apply to our business †¢Accessibility of human resources. Bellville is rich in human resources, there is a high demand for labour and the best suitable for the job can be hand picked †¢Distance of competitors and market share. There aren’t too many Laundromats in Bellville, the majority of the laundromats those in the surrounding areas are of low quality and the business that have the ability to compete with Stinky Laundry don’t have the proper infrastructure or proper don’t have better innovations to compare. The frequency and price of transport. There are a number of ways to get to Bellville, those are train bus taxi. All three services run frequently throughout the day, but the most efficient way to travel to the laundry would be by car as there is enough infrastructure and better for carrying the load. †¢Availability of buildings and the costs inv olved. Buildings in Bellville are sufficient in the cases of expansion or move. Costs of the buildings may run a little high for the quality of the buildings but with the big influx of people it won’t be a bad investment †¢Adequacy of electricity and water and the costs thereof. Being the busy place that it is electricity and water won’t be a problem because of the already available networks, the cost of electricity in SA is on the rising but its an expenses any business must deal with. †¢Building and health regulations and the behaviour of those enforcing them. Being a constantly developing area Bellville is regulated with a strong hand but the city is eager for new development so developments will not be a problem. †¢The state of surrounding business. Bellville has enough of everything in the area gaining nothing in Bellville will be a problem. 5. Enterprise Forms Type of enterprise Close Corporation Factors of selection of enterprise †¢With 1-10 members of the C. C. , start up capital will be easier to raise. †¢More than one member will provide a wider range of knowledge. Different members might have different areas of expertise. †¢Close corporations are relatively easy and inexpensive to start. Compared to other forms of ownerships C. C. are easy to start all they need is an opening statement and they are ready to start. †¢Members of the C. C have limited liability, meaning the members can only lose what they invested in the business not their personal belongings. †¢The C. C. as unlimited continuity. The ownership of the business can be transferred easily and if a member dies the business goes on Legal name of business Dirty Laundry C. C. ? 6. The Environment Internal environment Stinky laundry will be managed by its owners and will employ several workers to help with the daily running of the business. Open seven days a week from 7am t ill 7pm business. Some of the main aspects affecting our business are: Staff tasks. Staff will have the tasks of dry cleaning, ironing, maintenance, repairs, cleaning Equipment. The equipment of our business will be bought in bulk to save us money. The main sort of equipment required are washing machines, tumble dryers, irons, clothes pressers and washing baskets. Perishables. Our perishables, namely washing powder, fabric softener, etc, will be supplied by Surf on condition that we advertise and sell their products exclusively. Vision and mission statement Vision of Stinky Laundry: Stinky laundry wishes to become a profitable Laundromat, offering a reliable service to all customers and expanding the business by opening more Stinky Laundry branches across South Africa and revolutionise the way South Africans do laundry. Mission Statement: Stinky laundry is a local Laundromat that strives to achieve the status of the most recognised Laundromat in South Africa by offering cleaner, softer and a more affordable laundry service than any other Laundromat. Our ambition is to expand Stinky Laundromat and transform the business into a franchise that will be recognised all throughout South Africa. SWOT analysis of stinky laundry: Strengths- The cost of service of stinky laundry is cheaper than the average Laundromat, our staff is friendly and competent and we are situated in a fairly busy location in Bellville. Weaknesses- Technical difficulties arise occasionally regarding the washing machines, the repair costs tend to be costly and when a machine is out of order we are making less money. Stinky laundry is also under exposed. Opportunities- We can increase the exposure of Stinky laundry by means of advertising, take opportunity of all the lazy students who need their washing to be cleaned. Threats- Stinky laundries main threat would be other older Laundromats, because of their experience and loyal customers. Strategic objectives of Stinky laundry: †¢Create relationships with customers which will create more loyal customers †¢Make sure all customers are satisfied †¢Advertise at university residence Market Environment The target market for our particular service would be that of students, who have no time to do their own laundry. We try to keep our prices to a minimum so that it is affordable to the students, because they don’t have a particularly strong buying power due to the fact that majority of students don’t have income. Need satisfaction. We will satisfy consumer needs by providing a service to students and the general public who find doing laundry a waste of time. Being a retailer of cleaning products we satisfy needs of consumers specifically looking for laundry products Buying power and market share. Offering an all round service to the community we expect a larger market share because of the wide range of needs we satisfy. This intern brings us a large turnover and greater buying power to save on purchasing of new equipment. In order to maintain our low prices we have searched for the most cost effective suppliers, Stinky Laundry is also very much about quality, so it was difficult to locate a supplier that offered good quality washing powder at a low price. Suppliers. Our main supplier cleaning products would be Surf. We advertise their name and in return we save on the purchasing of their product. Since Stinky laundry offers a service we don’t really have intermediaries, because they is no need for a bridge between manufacturer and consumers. We will however need a bank, Bellville has a Absa branch in the area which we could deal with. Cleaning products could be bought from the nearby retailers in Bellville. Competitors are pulling out all the stops to compete with our business by trying to lower their prices and offering specials, but Stinky Laundry strives to be the best Laundromat, so that means we have to be a step ahead of our competitors, we do that by allot of advertising making sure that all residence in our area know who we are and are familiar with what the Stinky brand offers. Threats are rife in all of South Africa but Bellville is a busy place and police are aware of that. A security gate will be installed at the entrants to the building. The security gate can only be opened from the inside. ? Macro environment of South Africa South Africa, like many other countries, have lots of issues influencing the outcome of the growth of the country. Some of the main areas affecting us today are: Technological environment: †¢In South Africa we have experienced an rapid increase in technology and it is impacting business greatly. What these technological advances do is they help improve productivity of a business and can also even help improve the quality of your product/service. The negatives of technological advances are that if a competitor obtains more superior technology than you, you are then put at a disadvantage. If the buying power of your company is not big enough it is at risk. On the other hand technology aids businesses exponentially by decreasing production time and increasing profits †¢ The most important technological advances in South A frica would be water technology, Mineral technology, marine technology, agricultural technology, medical technology, transport technology and electrical technology. Economic environment: †¢Rates govern earning and profits made by individuals and businesses alike. Inflation rates of SA is now at 7. 5% which is good recovery after the world economic debacle. †¢ Unsteady growth of our economy is due to the high employment rate in SA. Inactive communities are only a burden on tax payers and do not contribute to economic growth but hinder it. †¢The exchange rate in SA is at an low to the dollar proving a good game for imports to our country. This saves us money and brightens our economy. ? Social environment: Demographics are even spread in employment. Previously disadvantaged are now being given a chance to prove themselves and women are showing that they are great assets to our country. †¢Distribution of wealth is still a huge factor in SA. The rich tend to make more money off their assets while those struggling get left behind †¢Values of South Africans are changing. They expect better for their lives and want better livin g conditions. This intern brings about new entrepreneurs wanting to better their lives and thus bringing new innovations to our country. Physical environment: †¢In some parts of South Africa we do see new infrastructure being built to help South Africans. Like the new buses and trains. The amount of South Africans using the new forms of transportation is rising. †¢The environments around us do need changing but more and more we do see businesses and individuals changing their life styles to help fight climate changes. Environmentalists often speak to us about trying to preserve the earth and people are starting to catch on.

Some Distractions While Driving English Language Essay

Some Distractions While Driving English Language Essay Im driving down the road on a highway in a yellow Sun Fire, bumping to the radio with three other friends in the car as passengers, looking down in my lap, not glancing at the road, when all of a sudden I look up and see a green car coming toward me. I swerve to stop an accident from happening. Close, but everyone is safe. A year has past since I almost well, I dont know what could have happened. If I hadnt started paying attention we would have been gone. Be careful of your surroundings and what you are concentrating on while driving because you might just end up taking someones life just like I almost did. Ever since my incident in Hubbard, Ohio, I never talk and text while Im driving; however, if I have to talk or text, I pull over to the side of the road or into a parking lot. I never would have learned that, if I didnt experience it for myself. I didnt want to drive for a month, and if I really had to, I would make sure my phone was kept away so I wasnt tempted by it. I also received anxiety from my situation. I would become anxious when I got on the road and a car pulled out in front of me, or if a car would just tailgate me. Not only did my personal experience help me learn, but it helped me think about others on the road, instead of worrying about the friend or person that I was texting. When I realized what I was doing, I also realized, if I wouldve hit that car, I could have injured my friends and myself. If that were to happen as an accident, that wouldve been something I would have to deal with for life. Secondly, it was not my car, so therefore my insurance would have risen, and my best friend wouldnt have a car. If you ever witnessed an accident or were a part of one like me, take it as a lesson learned. In my case, I did because I didnt realize so many consequences that go along with distractions while driving. Its a big responsibility to take as a teenager. A lot of teenagers would want to party, hang with friends, and be with their boyfriends; they do not want to be in a hospital under critical condition because of an accident that happened from texting and talking while driving. So pay attention to the road, and not your phone. Talking and texting could be very deadly. Im here to tell you, how we can save a life by cutting out a lot of distractions while driving. The top ten distractions that are caused by accidents are eating, texting/talking, pets, radio, friends/family, moving objects, and lighting a cigarette (Insure.com 16, 2009). These top ten distractions are the cause of the high rates of accidents. All of these distractions while driving are deadly weapons, and we as college student/adults dont really take it seriously. There are three main distractions identified by (NHTSA) National Highway Traffic Safety Association: Visual, Manual, and Cognitive. Visual- is taking your eyes off the road, Manual- taking your hands off the wheel and Cognitive- taking your mind off what youre doing (UDT, pg.1). Dprimarily drive with edare (fragment) using while driving: , you listed six Drivers should avoid distractions while driving to prevent fatal crashes. Laws have been implemented; therefore, we would be at a lower risk for accidents, injuries, and deaths. The seven states that banned cell phones, found out that there were less accidents because they implemented the law (source?). Even if cell phones did become illegal, I understand we would still use them but they should be used for emergency purposes only. It may seem like common sense handling and dialing while driving but it makes it less safe because your eyes are off the road. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration three percent of drivers are talking on hand-held cell phones at any given time. The NHTS explains that fifty-four percent of drivers who usually have a wireless phone on their vehicle, and seventy-three percent are reported using their phones while driving (Lance, n.d. 2010, p.1). Since technology has advanced in society, there are so many things we can use on our cell phones while driving in a car. One of the most commonly used are blue tooths, (plural not possessive) which would help prevent some of our high accident rates. Bluetooth is a known method for data that uses short-range radio links to replace cables between computers and their connected units (Fitzgerald, 2006). The state of Minnesota has an all out ban on cell phones while driving; the law says a pProvisional driver may not operate a vehicle while using a cell phone. The other states will permit using a cell phone if it is not being held to your ear.   Ã‚  You can still use a cell phone while driving if you use a headset.   The wireless headsets are popular due to the new Bluetooth technology.   With the combination of the Bluetooth technology in your cell phone and headset it allows your headset to automatically connect to your cell phone without any set up (Wilson, Nov 4, 2005). According to Officer Gary Fernandez of the California Highway Patrols, he investigated that 1,119 accidents during 2008, which amounted to an 8 percent increase over the amount 1,036 accidents investigated in 2007. is a word missing from the quote? Fernandez also stated the amount of accidents while driving under the influence rose in 2008 over the amount in 2007 (Aelusive, n.d. 1). Relevancy? In Wisconsin within the last thirty days, they showed the statistics of each distraction with the percentage. Most of the distractions just cause injury, but some injuries might lead to death. Seventy-nine percent of teens listen to the radio, sixty-one percent of the drivers go over the speed limit, sixty-one percent drivers drive with no hands at all, and uses their knees, fifty-one percent of teens text/talk, and forty-five percent eat and drink while driving. These percentages are very high for us teenagers, and it puts us at a higher risk than everyone else. The comparison to teenagers driving with distractions is worse than an elderly person thats on the road going twenty miles per hour. At least the older people are going slower to prevent an accident, but were going over the speed limit, because were becoming distracted in the car. This isnt a good combination. Statistics also show that, the decreasing rate of distractions while driving doesnt slow down until we hit our fifty , because thats the age where they dont always have to use technology to communicate. in MLA numbers 20 and above are written as numerals unless they begin a sentence In conclusion, I would like to say and hope we, as teenagers and adults, learned that distractions while driving can be, and are very deadly. Not only can it cause accidents, deaths, injuries, and fatal car crashes, but it can save someones life. Or in my case, it saved my friends and me. However, the saying while your driving is, you always know what youre going to do while driving, but you dont know what the other driver is thinking. Thats so true, you always have to pay attention to the road and others action, but you cant, if youre always concentrating on a distraction in the car that can wait. All it takes is a split second for your eyes to focus on something else, and it could be your last. I really hope we can stop being selfish and worry about others that are on the roads, instead of ourselves. At times, we all take life for granted and dont realize what we have until its gone. So hopefully we can focus on the road instead of the phone, because luckily I was saved just in tim e. Im so blessed that God lifted my head up just in time, to prevent an accident, or maybe just my life. Work Cited entries not to style Insure.com. The 10 most dangerous foods to eat while driving. Insure.com, 09-16-2009. Web 13 Oct 2010. Lance, Kim. Cell Phone Statistics. NEWSdial.com. NEWSdial.com, Web. 13 Oct 2010. . Fitzgerald, P. (2006). Are Bluetooths headsets safe? U.S Department of Transportation. Washington: Web. 13 Oct 2010. . Wilson, N. (2005, November 4th). Legal and safe driving while talking on cell phone with Bluetooth enabled wireless headset. Retrieved from http://www.bestsyndication.com/2005/Nicole-WILSON/110405-Legal_and_Safe_Driving_while_talking_on_Cell_Phone_with_Bluetooth_Enabled_Wireless_Headsetl.htm Joslyn, You chose a good case claim and supported it with a good variety of evidence. Your introduction and your conclusion work well together. I would have liked the conclusion to be shorter and less wordy because your last line is very powerful. This would have given it more focus. Your organization could be improved by grouping evidence with each main point consecutively. Im glad to see you went to the Writing Center, and you improved your grammar and mechanics significantly. There are still some issues as indicated above, but, again, its going in the right direction for sure. The assignment required 10 sources to include a personal interview, which you didnt include, meaning the paper does not meet the assignment requirements. This is a significant subtraction from your grade. Also, you have gone back and forth between APA and MLA style. 65/100 Grading Rubric Persuasive Essay Criteria Excellent A Good B OK C Not OK D or F Comments INTRODUCTION hooks the reader and provides necessary context. x CASE CLAIM clearly states a position on an arguable issue. x MAIN POINTS are relevant and clear. Word count dictates if all or most important points are included. x EVIDENCE from a variety of credible sources is used to support each main point. x x personal interview: none OPPOSING POINTS are relevant, with all essential opposing points included. x REBUTTAL fairly and reasonably counters each opposing point. x CONCLUSION serves to further strengthen the argument. x wordy, but the last line is excellent CALL TO ACTION is reasonable, actionable, and made as easy as possible to execute. x WORKS CITED PAGE follows the required style and is nearly error free. At least 10 (10) sources must be consulted. At least 7 sources must be cited. You must include a RELEVANT personal, email, or telephone interview from a credible source (not a relative, friend, etc.). At least four different genres must be used (i.e. book, journal, field research, website, online database, video, etc.). You may access sources on the Internet, however. x 10 sources: 8 not to style CITATIONS follow the required style and are nearly error free. x not to style ORGANIZATION of main points, case claim, evidence, etc. follows assignment requirements and shows proper planning. x TRANSITIONS provide that sentences, paragraphs, and essay all flow naturally. x GRAMMAR is almost free of interruptive error. x PUNCTUATION is almost free of interruptive error. x SPELLING is almost free of interruptive error. x AUDIENCE is considered in the selection of the issue, style, tone, and vocabulary. x LENGTH AND FORMAT meet the assignment requirements. A paper that is too short or too long is penalized by the percentage of words over or under count. x Heading: not in format Header: good Length: long works page not to format OVERALL INTEREST FACTOR x